


Stickmin Drama Thingy Because Inspiration Hit and They Must Write

by frostiwars



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Collaboration, Convict Allies Ending | CA (Henry Stickmin), F/M, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Henry Stickmin Series: Fleeing the Complex, Hurt No Comfort, Lies, M/M, Misunderstandings, One Shot, Post-Henry Stickmin Series: Infiltrating the Airship, Rapidly Promoted Executive Ending | RPE (Henry Stickmin), Selectively Mute Henry Stickmin, big sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29296764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostiwars/pseuds/frostiwars
Summary: Charles Calvin has been in contact with Henry ever since he supposedly turned on the government and joined the Toppats. But the truth is, that was all a ruse, and he's been secretly hiding in the ship to get intel the whole time. Now Charles is on a final mission to infiltrate the airship. He just hopes things go smoothly.
Relationships: Charles Calvin/Henry Stickmin, Henry Stickmin/Ellie Rose
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Stickmin Drama Thingy Because Inspiration Hit and They Must Write

**Author's Note:**

> k so this was a thing my friend wrote after i had them play the collection and we both love the game so they were like "i wanna make something angsty" and i was yes. so they wrote something up and its been lying in my editing bay for months. but now i have a bunch of fic motivation out of nowhere so it is time to publish!!!! 
> 
> this can be normal sticks or humans or whatever you want

Charles Calvin shot a quick, nerve wracked glance at the gargantuan airship. It’s red hull loomed over the sky like a… really big red thing. He’d never been much for poetic thoughts in times of duress. But he knew he had nothing to worry about, right?

*Okay, alright, attacking the Toppat gang. Nothing new, you've done this a thousand times Charles. Relax. Sure the last time you did this you had a government-threatening escape artist with you. It's fine. I'm sure you'll do fine.* 

"Get in close, then have the controls over to Rogers, okay Calvin?" The harsh voice ripped Charles out of his increasingly doubt filled thoughts.

"Right on sir." Came Charles's short reply. Following the command, he flew the helicopter as close as he could to the landing pad on the Toppat's aircraft. He quickly slid out of the seat and handed off the controls to Liam. That man was probably the only person Charles could trust with his helicopter anyways. It was still a mystery to him how HE’D been picked for a mission usually reserved for ground troops, but he’d obey orders regardless. He moved to the back of the copter, grabbed his gun and jumped onto the ship with the rest of his squad.

"Price, Atrix, Kageh! Go to the engine room and make sure this thing stays in the air. Charles, you'll be with me trying to find the Toppat leader, and their Right Hand. Everybody understand? Move out!" Charles quickly joined the squad leader’s pace and they began marching towards the control deck, where they assumed the Toppat leaders would be. 

There was nothing to worry about, so why was a sense of dread rising in his stomach like bile?

*Okay okay okay, be cool. You're on a burning flying thing in the sky, working with the squad commander, and trying to find the Toppat leader On Purpose of course. But it's fine, you'll do fine. Maybe Henry is working with another squad somewhere, I'm sure the general brought him in for this.*

The truth was, he knew that probably wasn’t true. The last he’d seen of Henry, he’d turned on them. Right at the very end. They’d been doing so well and he’d been so excited to work with him. But then, almost seemingly at the roll of a dice, he’d turned and joined the Toppats. But he didn’t want to believe it. Henry was just playing the long game, infiltrating the Toppats, this was all planned from the start and he wasn’t told because he didn’t need to know about it. Why else would they be randomly attacking the airship unless Henry had given the signal? He was again ripped from his thoughts, this time by a crackle in his headset. 

"We've got news, apparently the escape artist Henry Stickmin, is in league with the Toppats. He seems to have risen ranks to leader, and is working with a girl only identified as 'Ellie'. Be careful, he may be dangerous." The voice crackled out but Charles barely heard it over the static in his own head. 

*Henry? In league with the Toppats? Doesn't he know that I'm here? Doesn't he know they're the bad guys?? What about the secret plan?* He’d known that it might have been a fantasy for quite a while but he’d never had solid proof before now that he was utterly wrong.

Because Henry had been lying in those messages. 

They’d been in contact… of a sorts, for a few months now. Henry had planted that idea of a long con mission in his head at the very start. Charles was worried when the messages had stopped appearing, but then they came back again and Henry said he’d been in a complex called The Wall and Charles said that he could have always called him for help but Henry said that he had it handled from the start. He’d assumed that Henry had managed to sneak back onto the Airship, and Henry had hinted that his assumption was true. Obviously he couldn’t say anything outright because what if the messages got intercepted? 

But the messages were lies. 

He glanced up, realizing that while he’d been thinking, the squad leader and him had arrived at a long hallway. The commander paused.

"You go left. Eyes up, Stickmin might be around here. Good luck" Without another word the commander shifted up his gun and scurried down the right side of the hallway. Charles, mimicking him, drew up his own and jogged down the left end of the hallway.

*Please don't let me see Henry. Or maybe do, maybe I could convince him to come back, to help us. And who even is this "Ellie" girl? Are she and him…? No. He wouldn't just- well we weren't a thing officially but he felt it too right? Come on, how can I not interpret some of those messages like that?? Stop it Charles, head in the game. Eyes up man, you got this. You won't even see Henry, or Ellie for that matter.*

He continued down the hall, looking for the control room. After a minute or two he glanced up and saw another hallway that intersected with his own. He almost walked into the second hallway to check up and down, but hearing a female's voice made him jump to the right wall of his hallway, his back pressed up against the wall to stay hidden.

"C'mon, there's the control room! Hurry up, we don't need anybody seeing you!!" All Charles could hear after that was the crashing of feet against the metal floor, and it sounded like they would pass him in a few seconds. He brought up his gun into just the right position, if he saw a top hat, he'd fire, no questions asked. The assumed two people came closer. Charles steadied his hand. He could shoot. He's got this. They were getting closer.

"C'mon!!" The girl urged again. They were almost there.

Suddenly, a redheaded girl ran in front of Charles. He blinked up. Toppat. Without another thought, Charles pulled the trigger. A scream tore through the air. The second pair of feet stopped.

A choked shriek, like someone trying to force themself to talk resonated through the air. 

The room temperature dropped to freezing and reeked of iron. Charles knew that voice. He could recognize that voice anywhere. He’d always been more comfortable talking in the messages. ”It’s just easier for me, when it's for you.” 

The gun was heavy in his limp hands as Henry ran out from behind the corner. Henry. His Henry. Did he even realize Charles was standing there? Charles felt himself relax a little with Henry right there. Right there. Right there kneeling next to a dead body. The body Charles had just shot and killed. Ellie. Charles took in the complete scene and noticed one stark difference between the Henry he remembered and the one in front of him.

Henry was wearing a top hat. A top hat. The same one the last leader wore. Horror filled Charles as he came to his conclusion. Henry had joined the Toppats. Slowly, Henry turned to face him. Recognition lit up Henry's eyes but was instantly squashed by hate. Burning hot horror turned to a quiet, chilling fear when Henry silently stood up and faced him.

"How could you?" Charles found himself breathing out the question, betrayal covering the question.

"H-ow... cou-ld... y-ou?” Henry choked out. It’s easier when it’s for you. His face was a disturbing mixture of warmth, hatred, fear, confusion, concern. Everything. He froze for a moment, utterly still, with an expression like he was trying to make an important decision. 

The two started at each other, for eternity it felt like.

"Henry I--" Henry yanked out his pistol and aimed it at Charles. BANG

Charles felt his gun drop from his hand, useless. He touched that hand to his stomach, then brought it up to his eyes. Red. He heard a ringing sound and he felt something hard hit his knees. Henry looked a lot taller suddenly. Charles focused on his eyes. They were full of hate. He suddenly felt as if he couldn't keep his eyes open a second longer. They dropped shut, Henry's eyes burned into his mind.

………………………………………………………….. 

"General, Charles is dead. Killed by a single gunshot to the stomach. There's evidence of another death here, but there's no body. It must have been moved sir."

"Sir, in the control room, multiple escape pods have been ejected. We think most of the Toppats escaped, along with Stickmin and his accomplice, Ellie."

……………………………………..

Henry sat alone in the enormous room. It was quiet. He had ordered absolute silence today, so they would be just like him. Today, one year ago, he lost his first and last loves.

Glancing to the right of his chair (which had always reminded him more like a throne than anything) he let his eyes rest upon a smaller chair. This chair belongs to the Right Hand of the leader of the Toppats. He’d promised her when they broke out together, she, and no one else would sit there. Keeping that promise, it would remain empty his entire reign.

He turned his head to the left of his seat to gaze at a chair similar to his but only slightly smaller. This was the chair that was most commonly left unused. If the leader ever married, their spouse would sit here. It too would remain empty as long as Henry was in charge. 

Henry gazed forward again, his eyes and throat empty, and took off his hat. He stared at it softly for a while. It was the nicest top hat in the whole gang. It was the leader's top hat. After the leader of the Toppats and his Right Hand were killed when their airship was raided shortly after he took over, any question about his leadership was dispelled, even without a Right Hand. He’d considered for a little bit convincing Charles to join him, but he knew he never would. It was better, back then, to make him believe they weren’t enemies. When he broke out of The Wall with Ellie, he thought he’d found the perfect Right Hand. Someone who he deeply cared about, who he could almost feel as comfortable speaking with as Charles, but who didn’t have an aversion to crime. He'd been the undisputed leader ever since. He looked out his window and watched the sun go down over the hill. A bell rang in the distance. The silence was over. Noise slowly echoed down the halls. There was a banging noise. Someone was knocking at the door. Henry sighed, sat up and put his hat back on.

His eyes glazed over and he saw a few decisions appear in front of him. He picked the one in the middle.

Time to lead.


End file.
